Scottish Executive

Anti-Social Behaviour

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish its report on the responses to the consultation document Putting Our Communities First: A Strategy for tackling Anti-social Behaviour .

Ms Margaret Curran: I will be publishing the report of the analysis, by Glasgow University, of the responses to Putting Our Communities First: A Strategy for tackling Anti-Social Behaviour later today. Copies of the report have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29683). It will also be available on the Scottish Executive website. In addition, copies of the research findings will be sent to every respondent to the consultation.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the resolution of the Parliament on 11 September 2003, it is now committed to advocating and lobbying for the end of the system of detaining children at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre.

Ms Margaret Curran: The issue of detaining children at removal centres is the responsibility of the Home Office. However, the Scottish Executive is discussing with the Home Office the implementation of the HMCIP/HMIE report recommendations.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it first became aware of the proposed extension to Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre and whether there are any further plans to (a) extend or (b) make alterations to the centre which the Executive, or the planning authority, will require to be informed about.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive became aware that the Home Office was considering the expansion of Dungavel in February 2003. We are not aware of any further plans to expand or alter the centre.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations regarding the impact of the proposed extension to Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive has not made any representations on this issue.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2534 by Ms Margaret Curran on 24 September 2003, whether it will raise the specific issue of fingerprinting and photographing of visitors to Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre during its next contact with the Home Office.

Ms Margaret Curran: I will raise this issue at my next meeting with the Home Office.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to liaise with local residents who live near Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre about any responsibilities the Executive may have in respect of persons held at the centre.

Ms Margaret Curran: The operation of Dungavel is a matter for the Home Office. The Executive has no such plans at this time.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to liaise with local residents who live near Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre about any representations it intends to make in respect of the centre.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive has no such plans at this time.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2532 by Ms Margaret Curran on 24 September 2003, whether it was given any indication that asylum interviews would be held in Glasgow again in the near future.

Ms Margaret Curran: No such indication was given by the Home Office.

Environment

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are under which a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) must be carried out.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what exemptions there are from the need to carry out a strategic environmental assessment.

Ross Finnie: The partnership agreement makes an important commitment that "We will legislate to introduce strategic environmental assessment to ensure that the full environmental impacts of all new strategies, programmes and plans developed by the public sector are properly considered".

  To meet this commitment we are adopting a two stage process. Firstly, we will bring forward regulations to ensure that we implement European Directive 2001-42-EC, which requires environmental assessment to be carried out on certain plans and programmes, by the due date of 21 July 2004. We will consult on the draft regulations towards the end of this year.

  The partnership agreement, however, makes clear our intention to extend the scope of the SEA process to apply it to a wider range of strategies, plans and programmes than the directive requires. To implement this we intend to introduce a comprehensive bill on SEA in early course. Once this bill is enacted, the regulations introduced as the first stage in the process will be revoked.

  It is clear that SEA will have implications throughout the public sector, and will likely be of interest to environmental organisations and the general public. We will therefore conduct a first consultation on the broad policy of the bill at the same time as we consult on the regulations. There would then be further consultation on detailed proposals for the bill before it is introduced.

  The full text of the directive can be found at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eia/full-legal-text/0142_en.pdf.

Forestry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it measures the impact on the forestry and forest products sectors of the economy of all proposed measures that will potentially add costs to those sectors, including additional measures regarding certification, the designation of forest areas as sites of special scientific interest and measures in other areas that may restrict economic activity, and what consultation there is with bodies representing such sectors about such measures in advance of their implementation.

Allan Wilson: We take seriously the need to take account of the interests of all stakeholders who have an involvement in forestry and forest products whether they are economic, environmental or social when we develop and implement legislation and other policy instruments. In some instances there is a need to strike balances and make choices, for example in the case of nature conservation where there may be UK and European considerations. In the case of independent certification this is not just a matter for the Scottish Executive. The UK Woodland Assurance Scheme has been developed by a much wider grouping of forestry stakeholders and is independent of government. Within this broad group, economic interests have their opportunity to contribute to the process and make the case for economic viability based on sustainable principles.

Health and Safety

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the new regulations to amend the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 will have for Scotland.

Hugh Henry: The regulations (SI 2003/2457) to amend the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 were made by the UK Government on 24 September 2003 and will come into force on 27 October 2003. Scottish ministers agreed previously that these regulations should be amended for Scotland, and they will now come into force here as in the rest of the UK.

Justice

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-466 by Ross Finnie on 10 June 2003, how many prosecutions there were for litter offences in 2002.

Ross Finnie: The data for 2002 will be published in December 2003.

Landfill

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is with regard to new landfill developments.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive wishes to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. In the National Waste Plan we have set targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste disposed of to landfill by 25% (of 1995 amounts) by 2010, 50% by 2013 and 65% by 2020. In addition, we have set a national target of 25% recycling and composting of municipal waste by 2006.

  It is clear, however, that there will still be a need for landfill facilities to dispose of residual amounts of waste. New landfill developments will need to comply not only with planning requirements, but also with those of the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 (as amended).

  The Scottish Executive’s planning policy on landfill sites and other developments involving the management of waste is set out in National Planning Policy Guideline 10: Planning and Waste Management. Further advice is contained in Planning Advice Note: PAN 63 – Waste Management Planning. These documents may be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/Planning/nppg_10_planningwast.aspx

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/pan/pan63-00.asp

Landfill

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is with regard to landfill gas flare systems.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is with regard to leachate treatment.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether access roads to landfill sites are unsuitable for heavy traffic.

Ross Finnie: The Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 (as amended) control possible environmental risks. Amongst other provisions, the regulations require systems to be put into place to control gas, collect and treat leachate, control water access and minimise the nuisances and hazards arising from noise and traffic. The application of these requirements to individual installations is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Landfill

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection will be given to the local ecosystem and Aucheninnes bog from any gas flare installation at the proposed Aucheninnes landfill site, Dalbeattie.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection will be given to the local ecosystem and Aucheninnes bog from any leachate treatment at the proposed Aucheninnes landfill site, Dalbeattie.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection will be given to the local ecosystem and Aucheninnes bog from the discharge of surface water at the proposed Aucheninnes landfill site, Dalbeattie.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection will be given to the local ecosystem and Aucheninnes bog from any heavy traffic at the proposed Aucheninnes landfill site, Dalbeattie.

Ross Finnie: This is a matter for Dumfries and Galloway Council, as the planning authority, and for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, as environmental regulator.